Last Friday was World Book Day in case you didn’t know, a perfect occasion to celebrate what Stephen King called at one point ‘portable magic’. Books are, indeed, magical to some point as they can enlighten us or entertain us or tell us a good story about craftsmanship and excellence in a field of work. That’s what Rolls-Royce was looking for with ‘Making a Legend’, a book about the unique blend of hand-craftmanship and world-class technology embodied in the present generation of Rolls-Royce motor cars.
‘Making A Legend’ takes in a broad sweep of the company’s history, featuring cars from the marque’s very earliest days in the 1900s, right up to new Ghost launched in 2020. The book provides an intimate, highly contemporary account of life at the house of luxury, with the aim of connecting readers with the people who make the best car in the world. The narrative follows the process of transforming a customer’s idea into a finished product, through interviews with individuals from all departments including Bespoke designers, skilled craftspeople and assembly specialists.
“When the authors approached us with their proposal for this book, we welcomed them with open arms. Simon and Harvey are both distinguished writers with great perceptiveness, integrity and enthusiasm. They joined us at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, where we gave them our full support, granting access to whatever and whoever they wanted to see and talk about. Their words, combined with the images captured by Mariano Vilarós, make this a definitive history of the marque, right up to and including, the present day,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Over almost 300 illustrated pages, every detail of how a Rolls-Royce motor car is designed, engineered and meticulously hand-built, is examined. Chapters include Design and Customization, Paint and Finish, Chassis Assembly, Woodwork, Leather and Testing; there is also an entire section devoted to the Spirit of Ecstasy, the figurine that has graced the bonnet of Rolls-Royce motor cars for over 100 years.
